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The NCAA is appealing an injunction granted to Ole Miss<\/a> quarterback Trinidad Chamlbiss\u00a0which granted him the right to play in 2026<\/a><\/span>. The 658-page filing obtained by ESPN urges the Mississippi State<\/a> Supreme Court to overturn a decision made by a local jurisdiction in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The preliminary injunction provides Respondent with an additional year of eligibility that is unavailable to other student-athletes under NCAA bylaws. Under the trial court’s order, Ole Miss will enjoy the benefit of rostering a star quarterback who is no longer eligible to compete,” the document reads. “Such an outcome is unfair to Division I schools who follow the rules and must compete against Ole Miss in the 2026-27 season or who may be displaced for postseason competition by Ole Miss. That harm cannot be undone through an appellate decision that follows a final judgment on merits.”<\/p>\n Chambliss’ attorney Tom Mars is confident the appeal will fail.<\/p>\n “Everyone remembers when the NCAA famously appealed to the Supreme Court in the Alston case and got their teeth knocked out by Justice Kavanaugh,” Mars told ESPN<\/a>. “I expect the NCAA to be spitting chiclets in this appeal as well.”<\/p>\n The “Alston case” refers<\/a><\/span>\u00a0a suit led by Shawne Alston, a former West Virginia<\/a> running back, who argued that limiting benefits to players violates federal antitrust laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chambliss received a temporary injunction on Feb. 12 after suing the NCAA in Lafayette<\/a> County Chancery Court in Mississippi. Chambliss petitioned the NCAA for a medical waiver that would have granted him another year of eligibility tied to a respiratory condition experienced in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n The NCAA denied his appeal on multiple occasions<\/a><\/span>\u00a0— most recently in February. That led Chambliss to take his case to court.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Chambliss’ legal representation, the former Division II transfer missed the 2022 season because of complications from tonsillitis and chronic fatigue. He had a typical redshirt campaign in 2021 before playing in each of the last three seasons, including breaking out as one of the SEC’s top players last fall as a College Football<\/a> Playoff entrant.<\/p>\n The NCAA argued that proper documentation from that time period wasn’t provided and Ferris State’s reasoning for Chambliss not playing after redshirting the previous season was “development needs and our team’s competitive circumstances.”<\/p>\n Chambliss helped fuel the first CFP appearance in program history last fall for the Rebels with 3,927 yards passing and 22 touchdowns.<\/p>\n With Austin Simmons moving on to Missouri after the season, the Rebels had to make a move to secure their depth chart in case Chambliss was not successful in his fight for a sixth season. So Ole Miss signed\u00a0Auburn transfer Deuce Knight in January<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Knight redshirted last fall after only appearing in two games, which included an Auburn record-tying six touchdown outing in his only start (Mercer<\/a>). Knight threw for 239 yards and picked up another 162 yards rushing to spark intrigue. Knight’s four rushing touchdowns in the late-November contest were the most by an Auburn quarterback in his starting debut in 50 years and tied for the fourth-most by a player in program history.<\/p>\n Knight will work closely with new offensive coordinator John David Baker, who returned to Ole Miss after spending the last two seasons as\u00a0East Carolina’s<\/a>\u00a0play-caller, and\u00a0replaces Charlie Weis Jr. following his departure to LSU<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond Chambliss and Knight, Walker Howard and AJ Maddox are on scholarship and will battle during spring practice.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWho would Ole Miss turn to if Chambliss can’t play?<\/h2>\n